


Broomstix

by CavannaRose



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - The Breakfast Club Fusion, Diagon Alley, Gen, Hogwarts First Year, Not Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, RPG Storyline, School
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-01 09:01:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16762069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CavannaRose/pseuds/CavannaRose
Summary: I do not care for the Cursed Child. Instead, I am writing about the adventures of some young people who attend Hogwarts at the same time as the Potter and Weasley children, as if that foul concoction never existed.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm working on the narrative voice of this piece. Mostly I wanted to set the characters here, but I plan to give more details of events in later chapters. These adventures take place in a Broomstix RPG I am running.

Voldemort and his Death Eaters were defeated over twenty years ago, and since then a sort of peace has fallen over the Wizarding World. Despite all the upheaval, life, and Hogwarts, managed to carry on. Once again a new school year is beginning at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and though there are plenty of new faces amidst the staff, some remain the same. If, perhaps, those familiar faces are a trifle older, good manners suggests that we pay it no mind. Some of these noble instructors are survivors and heroes of the Battle of Hogwarts. Unfortunately, as is the way of such things, for many of the students raised in the magical world, the fateful skirmish is just one more boring story that the adults whisper about late at night, or reminisce on over mugs of Butterbeer and games of Wizard’s Chess. In a flurry of feathers, Hogwarts letters are scattered about the United Kingdom, filling the minds of the chosen young people with either eagerness or trepidation, dependant upon their personalities.

One such family is that of Josephine Ngo, called Jo by her close friends. Her parents Lina and Jon, wealthy purebloods from a far away land, immigrated to the rolling hills of Derbyshire when the sprout was just over a year old, and she has known no other home. She is singularly untouched by the trials that the Wizarding World faced in her adoptive home, though even her family harbours secrets. Jo is an almost-eleven-year-old Vietnamese girl, with shaggily cut black hair and amber eyes. She is short for her age, about 4'2", and lightly tanned from long hours spent outside. She's thin, but muscular, with a missing front tooth and a crooked grin. Upon receiving her letter she dashed down the way to the residence of her closest compatriot, Wilbert Li. The two families were drawn together, both by their pureblood status, and by their shared stories of immigration to the greener pastures outside of Hadfield. Young Jo is greeted at the door by Wilbert’s mother, Lam, dressed in her Auror uniform and clearly about to head to work. Laughing at the eager young lass, Lam informs Jo that her friend is in the kitchen, eating his breakfast and reading over the letter.

Jo dashes through towards the kitchen, pausing to bow before the small family shrine in one corner of the room, pausing to admire the picture of Wilbert’s father, Po. He was a handsome young Auror, killed five years ago in an unfortunate, muggle-related incident. Respect paid, she continued her mad dash towards the kitchen, calling Wilbert’s name. Wilbert was a sturdy young lad of eleven, taking more after his Chinese father than his Vietnamese mother. He too has black hair, though his is trimmed short and kept neat. He is much taller than Jo, standing about 4'11", and though he has the tan and muscles of an active young man, he also has a bit of pudge around his middle from late night snacking while reading under the covers. The two young mischief makers plotted their grand plans, including a visit to Diagon Alley for the essentials. Naturally their parents would take care of the mundane supplies such as books and robes, but one had to see old Ollivander personally to receive their wand, and really, who would want to miss out on that?

At work Mrs. Li runs into Kassandra Alexandros, a fellow Auror, and they share a fond moment discussing their children’s mornings. Kassandra’s daughter Kira also received her letter that morning, which was a relief to the younger Auror. She had worried that there would be no such morning, as Kira’s father had been a muggle. Fears allayed, she was able to enjoy their morning chat as they rode the elevators to their respective floors. Her sweet Kira had her same pale skin and long brown hair, with the same wide grey eyes and smattering of freckles. Kassandra could tell that her girl would be tall, she was already 4'8", with the broad shoulders and wide grin of her muggle father.

Further north, in Edinburgh, an owl swoops in the open door of a potion shop, startling Evelynda Darkwood and her daughter. The young girl, no more than eight or nine, catches it up and waves it around in excitement. Evelynda smiled at the antics. “Serena, go fetch your brother from the back room and let him have his letter. He’s been waiting most anxiously.” Both her youngsters showed early signs of magic, and a knack for her own specialty of potions, but she knew that young Raka fretted that their absentee father’s status as a muggle might jeopardize that. He did take after his father quite a bit, with his messy brown hair and blue eyes. He was already over 5' tall, and so skinny he looked like he could break in half. She never could alleviate his worries, or his constant urge to somehow overcome that half of himself.

Our final student of interest is not as pleased with her letter as her compatriots. In fact, Wendelin Snape from Adare in County Limerick, greeted the owl with fear and worry. Wendelin had the olive-toned complexion of her Spanish grandmother, and bright green eyes. The girl was 4'7" and pleasantly plump, just starting to show the curves of the woman she would one day be. Unfortunately, her mom's half-Spanish blood was not the only secret their family held. There had been stories circulating the family that great-grandfather’s brother had married someone a bit daft, and that grandfather never really had anything to do with his cousin. Eventually, that side of the family faded into obscurity, and no one much knew what happened to them, and that was how the family liked it. Now Wendelin sat at the table with her father, a respectable lawyer, and her mother, who was his secretary, and let worry overtake her as old family history was dredged up. “Perhaps I can simply not go, father? If we ignore it, maybe I can just continue on into Sixth Class at Our Lady’s Abbey and…” The screeching of an owl interrupted her, and her parents kindly played hooky from work to ease her troubled mind, and to assure her that this was not something you could just pretend away.

That weekend, wizards of all bents and miens congregated in London, swamping the streets of Diagon Alley in their finest. Youngsters ogled brooms in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies, while others came out of Magical Menagerie or Eeylops Owl Emporium carting their new familiar. Jo and Wilbert’s family met up in The Leaky Cauldron, nursing the small mug of Butterbeer each that Lam had purchased for them while their parent’s sat nearby catching up. Kassandra and her daughter arrived, waving to Mrs. Li before finding their own seats. Ms. Darkwood soon entered, Raka tight at her side, wide eyes taking in everything. He made a beeline for Kira, introducing himself much to the girl’s surprise. They shook hands, and the pair both begged a few Knuts from their parents in order to get a drink. The bartender refused to serve them Butterbeer, and instead of settling for pumpkin juice, the duo pocketed their coins.

The arrival of the Snapes was far more noticeable than young Wendelin would have preferred, and she could already feel a headache coming on. Her mother remarked on everything, pointing and gesticulating like an overwrought German tourist despite her father’s steadying presence. Thankfully they couldn’t stay in the pub, since they had to go into Diagon Alley to exchange their money for whatever it was witches and wizards used. Wendelin blushed as several kids her age eyed her curiously, though she caught a sympathetic half-smile from the handsome young Raka Darkwood. They rushed through to the back, where they were greeted by a charming swarm of redheads also heading to the Alley. The sea of gingers introduced themselves collectively as the Weasleys, and Wendelin was overwhelmed. Names flew about, but the only one that truly caught her attention was a boy around her age, who introduced himself as Louis.

As friendly and helpful as they were, Wendelin was glad to be free of them, that is, until they entered Gringott’s, the Wizarding Bank. Deborah Staley-Snape let out a screech like a train whistle, and her daughter was required to escort her out while her father made apologies, and then exchanged his money with a scowling goblin. Normally a frugal man, the system of knuts, sickles, and galleons was far beyond Nicholas Snape. The equivalencies were nothing short of nonsensical, and as they journeyed from shop to shop, he found himself simply handing the strange coins to his young daughter and hoping that the magic within her would make some semblance of sense out of it all. More and more he had to soothe his wife, often the adults would wait outside and let Wendelin deal with the shopping on her own.

They finally came to the end of the row, a garish building labelled Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes. Just inside she spotted a flurry of redheads, assumedly the previously acquainted Weasleys, who apparently were related to the owners of the establishment. Wendelin wasn’t sure she needed to go inside a joke and sweet shop, but she caught sight of the handsome young Louis, and for reasons she couldn’t quite comprehend, decided to enter. Her father gladly handed over the final dozen or so galleons to her, and she failed to notice the astonished look of young Raka Darkwood, who had come up behind with his own mother.

He immediately turned to Evelynda. “Mum! Can I have some money to spend at Weasley’s? Please? Please _pleasepleaseplease_?”

His mother frowned. “We don’t have much extra, Raka. The textbooks alone were rather pricey. Maybe next time.” Unswayed, she turned to head towards the exit, and Raka, in a rash move, attempted to help himself to his mother’s purse. A firm and came down, pinching his ear cruelly and giving him a shake. “Raka! When I say no, I mean no!”

“You always said yes before…” he whined, noticing some of the young people from The Leaky Cauldron watching the scene, and flushing red with embarrassment. His mother gave him a furious scolding, uncaring of their audience, and then apparated them both home, where she continued to lecture him, setting him to scrubbing all the cauldrons in her potion shop.

All in all, a fairly average day in Diagon Alley, but one that none of the young people were likely to forget.


	2. Chapter 2

Platform 9¾. Every student attending Hogwarts for the year eventually finds their way to King’s Cross Station. The hustle and bustle of the muggles going about their business barely phases the wizarding families as they bundle their young through the passage and up onto the train. On the platform Jo and Wilbert say goodbye to their parents. While Lam Li fusses, Jon Ngo reminds the two young ones to look out for one another, and his wife, Lina, tucks extra galleons into each of their pockets for ‘a treat on the train’. With many kisses and several hugs, the two young purebloods finally extract themselves from their parent’s embraces, and make their way onto the train. The compartments are starting to fill up, but the two manage to find an empty one to claim as their own, spreading out to make it look as if perhaps there were more occupants who had just stepped out.

Kassandra Alexandros kneels on the platform, re-buttoning Kira’s jacket, and brushing her long brown hair out of her eyes. “I know you’re mad for Quidditch right now, but first years hardly ever make the team. Don’t let it get you down if you don’t make it this year. Just keep practicing, and keep on top of your studies. I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.” Embarrassed, Kira rolls her eyes at her mother, but she leans forward to give her a quick hug before scampering aboard the train. The first two compartments she looks into are full, but the third is Wilbert and Jo’s. Despite the mess Jo has already spread across the benches, Kira asks to join the pair, and after a brief consultation, they agree. Introducing themselves and generally getting acquainted.

Raka and his family arrive at King’s Cross at the same time as Wendelin and her father, Nicholas. After her experience in Diagon Alley, his wife, Deborah, decided it would be best to stay home. As the muggle and his daughter cross the busy thoroughfare, he can be heard muttering “Nine and three quarters? Surely it’s a misprint! I shall find someone posthaste and sort this all out.” Young Serena Darkwood stops him with an impish smile. “T’isn’t, sir, begging your pardon. Me brother’s going to the same place.” She points to Evelynda, her mother. “Me mum will help you folks get situated, if’n you want. ‘Tis my brother’s first year at Hogwarts too.” Relieved at the assistance, Nicholas Snape accepts and goes over to talk to Ms. Darkwood.

Wee Raka listens as his mother implores him to be a good boy, and not to get mixed up in any trouble. “I know they call it temptation because it’s so bleedin’ appealin’ me lad, but for the love of Merlin cannae ye just mind yerself? Fer me?” He assures her that he will do his very best, and turns to join the little muggleborn on the train, but she had boarded during his lecture and was already gone. It takes Raka a while to find a place to sit, but a pair of second year Hufflepuffs invite him to join them, and he gratefully accepts. Wendelin, on the other hand, found herself swept up in a wave of gingers once she got near the train. Young Louis had spotted her and swept her along with him and his cousins as they claimed a pair of compartments, leaving the doors open so they could holler back and forth across at one another. Over the course of the trip they would change places several times, virtually guaranteeing that Wendelin could not identify any of them.

Eventually the train is full, and the bright young faces, some cheery, some tearful, wave to the parents standing at the platform as they chug along to school. On the ride treats are purchased, and shared. Young Wendelin learns the joys of chocolate frogs, and the horror of Bertie Botts. The two Hufflepuffs share their packed lunches with Raka, and assuage some of his worries about the difficulty of the classes awaiting him. Kira, Jo and Wilbert hit it off famously, and it is not long before young Miss Ngo is wrapping her two compatriots up in plots and plans for epic pranks and adventures while they are locked away in Hogwarts. Somehow the petite girl makes it sound like both a grand adventure and a prison sentence all rolled into one.

Both their arrival and the boat ride across are without major incident, though Raka finds himself aboard a boat with Louis Weasley and Wendelin, as the other Weasleys, and Raka’s Hufflepuffs, were both going to the school by carriage. Attempting to see everything all at once, Jo almost ends up in the lake, and if it were not for Wilbert’s fast reflexes, it is very possible she might never have made it to the Sorting Ceremony. Finally, they were all assembled before Madame Rolanda Hooch, the Deputy Headmistress under Minerva McGonagall, and she led them all to the fabled Sorting Hat. The Hat sang them a rather dark and foreboding little song, but finally they were all sorted.

_I am the only Sorting Hat_  
that you will ever see  
If you want to know where you belong

_come sit here, under me._

_I will look into your minds_

_and judge what I find there_

_But venture closer, little ones_

_and sit upon my chair._

_A darkness lurks where you can’t see_

_and whispers dire threats_

_So step outside your comfort zones_

_or linger with regrets._

_Gryffindors, be more than brave_

_Ravenclaws, more than smart_

_Sly Slytherins do more than plot_

_Hufflepuffs bring more than heart._

_Dig deeper than you have before_

_look closely at yourselves_

_Step softly when it grows too late_

_beware of nines and twelves._

Kira Alexandros was immediately sorted into Gryffindor, and cheerfully set about introducing herself to her new Housemates, asking the important questions like loss-win ratios of the Quidditch team.

Raka Darkwood took almost three entire minutes with the Hat, but was finally sorted into Slytherin. The boy looked pensive as he found himself a seat, worry crinkling his brow.

Wilbert Li was quickly sorted into Ravenclaw, which was just as he expected and he ambled over to the table, much pleased with himself. He made several charming introductions, but soon turned back to watch his friend Jo get sorted.

Jo Ngo also took some time for the Hat to place, nearly as long as Raka had. Finally the Hat called out Gryffindor. She gave a longing glance at her pal, Wilbert, but eventually settled in beside Kira, content enough that at least she knew someone there.

Last of our students of interest, Wendelin Snape also found herself sorted into Ravenclaw, though she had little concept of what that meant in the grand scheme of things. From what little she had read before classes started, it suggested she was smart, which she certainly agreed with, though she wasn’t sure how much muggle arithmetic and geography would assist her at Hogwarts.

Finally, Headmistress McGonagall gave a brief but warm welcoming speech, and a feast appeared on the four long tables.

_Good evening students, new and old. Welcome to the beginning of a fresh school year. We have several new staff members to introduce this year. Professor Filius Flitwick has finally decided to retire, and Lenore Rozier has taken his position as Charms Instructor. She will also be taking the role of Head of Hufflepuff. Our Potions instructor, Professor Ludo Vulkov, will assume the mantle of Head of Ravenclaw house. The other two heads of houses are Vincent Valentine, professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, as Head of Slytherin, and Professor Neville Longbottom, Head of Gryffindor and professor of Herbology._

_Students interested in Quidditch tryouts, please submit your names to your Head of House by end of day on Friday. Tryouts take place Saturday at 2 o’clock in the afternoon. First years, those that can ride a broom will be permitted to try out, but be aware that the older students have a deal more practice, so you will have to be very good to make the team._

_I would like to remind students that entering the Forbidden Forest or swimming in the Black Lake is strictly forbidden, no exceptions. These places often exact their own harsh punishments, but that will not stop me from expelling anyone caught breaking this rule. All items purchased from Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes or Zonkos Joke Shop are considered contraband, and if they are caught on your person, they will be confiscated._

_That messy business out of the way. Please, eat, enjoy, and welcome to Hogwarts._


	3. Chapter 3

The first week of classes was a blur for our young witches and wizards. Every class produced more and homework, until their little heads were spinning. When were they supposed to get all this work done? Where was this mythical ‘free time’ they kept hearing about in which they could play and hang around, or, apparently, do some of the million tonnes of homework piled at the foot of their beds. Not only did they have their regular classes, but flying lessons took place after those, and then, Astronomy.

This was where Wendelin lost it. Muggle schools made sense. Their classes were sensible and useful, the stairs never moved, and they did not expect eleven-year-olds to get out of bed and climb a tower at midnight to try and cram some more learning into their exhausted brains. An hour and a half of flying after classes, then dinner, then barely enough time to lay her head down before they were all getting back up and trooping up the stairs. Used to speaking her mind, the girl snapped. Madame Sinestra, however, was not impressed with the child’s lack of control, and she found herself in possession of a Saturday detention, as well as losing her house ten points. The witches behind her stopped whispering about the Slytherin prefect who had moved from the boys’ dormitory to the girls’ this year, and started discussing the violent tempers of muggleborns.

Despite his best efforts, Raka could not manage to arrive on time for Defense against the Dark Arts, despite the class being taught by his Head of House. Eventually frustrated with Raka’s perennial tardiness, Professor Valentine assigned Raka a Saturday detention, costing his own house 30 points in just the first week. Part of him felt that perhaps he had been sorted into the wrong house, he had never really considered himself sly or ambitious, but the Sorting Hat was never wrong. What Slytherin house was good at, it seemed, was gossiping. Wherever he went, Raka seemed to pick up whispers and rumours. Several Hufflepuffs had lost their familiars. Professor Vulkov was definitely a man. There was definite proof Professor Vulkov was a woman. There was a betting pool going on in the common room for the presumed gender of the charming and androgynous potions professor, but no one had been bold enough to ask yet.

Kira was quickly swept along into Jo’s inner circle, and shortly thereafter deeply embroiled in the smaller girl’s mischief. Caught with goodies from Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes, Jo raged against the inherent injustice of having her things confiscated. Kira comforted her new friend, and then sat back as Jo plotted the grand reclamation project. The more studious Wilbert was drawn in for his knowledge of charms, and soon the trio were ready. Unfortunately, Professor Longbottom was used to identifying the machinations of students preparing to leave the tower after lights out, and nearly caught the girls. Kira gallantly sacrificed herself, allowing Jo to escape and meet up with Wilbert. She was rather good-natured about her Saturday detention, but disappointed that it would mean missing Quidditch tryouts. The two old chums scurried along to the caretaker’s office, managing to avoid detection and charm the old door open. Unfortunately they were thwarted by the presence of the caretaker in his office. Shamefacedly they were escorted to their respective Heads of House, receiving Saturday detentions, and losing house points.

Saturday morning dawned bright and enticing, but instead of heading down to breakfast and then out to enjoy the sunshine, five witches and wizards headed to the detention room. First to arrive was Wendelin, and she took in the drab area tucked away in the castle dungeons. Six tables were set out in two rows of three. With a shrug she made her way to the back of the rows, finding a seat. Next to enter were Jo and Kira, escorted by Professor Longbottom, who had caught Jo attempting to convince Kira not to attend. There were Quidditch tryouts to think about, after all. He sat them together near the front of the room, and gave a small speech trying to appeal to their better natures.

Raka was the next to arrive, checking the clock, and then the front of the classroom to ensure that their supervising instructor wasn’t there yet. With a sigh of relief, he took up the other front table, offering a friendly smile to the girls. Jo made a point of snubbing him, though Kira waved and gave him a small smile. Last to arrive was Wilbert. In one arm he clutched two tightly wrapped package. Sitting at the middle table, he unwrapped the first to reveal a large breakfast. Smiling he tucked in, happily munching on crisp bacon while the other students looked on. Jo leaned back to swipe a biscuit, but other than that he was left unbothered.

Finally Professor Valentine stalked in. Dressed in a dapper black suit, he scanned the room with judgemental eyes. When he landed on Raka, his lips curled up in a dismissive sneer. With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair and addressed the group. “Well...” he waited for the kids to settle down as the sound of chairs squeaking nearly drowned him out. “Well. Here we are! I want to congratulate you for being on time...” He seems to glare daggers at Raka, who blushes and slinks down low in his chair.

Jo raised her hand. “Excuse me, sir? Is there any way you can let us out before two o’clock. I know we’re supposed to be here until four, but Quidditch tryouts are today…”

Black eyes swept across the room to pin her to her seat, and Jo’s normally brazen voice quieted until it trailed off entirely. “Lucky for you, there will be Quidditch next year as well.” Straightening his jacket, he returns to his interrupted speech. “It is now seven-oh-six. You have exactly eight hours and fifty-four minutes to think about why you're here. To ponder the error of your ways.” Wilbert chokes on an overlarge bite of biscuit, earning his own glare. Wendelin raises her hand. “You may not talk. You will not move from these seats.” Raka raises his hand. “And you will not sleep.”

“What if we have to use the lavatory? Are we allowed to get up then?” Raka’s voice was less bold than he would have liked, but his question was completely ignored as Professor Valentine turned to the desk at the front of the room, picking up a stack of papers and a bundle of quills. “Alright people, we're going to try something a little different today. We are going to write an essay--of no less than a thousand words--describing to me who you think you are.”

He passes the papers out around the room, pointing out the ink well imbedded in the desk to Wendelin, who still had her hand up. “When I say essay...I mean essay. I do not mean a single word repeated a thousand times. Is that clear Miss Ngo?” Jo looked up, scowled, but nodded her head, putting the quill already in her hand down. “Maybe you'll learn a little something about yourself. Maybe you'll even--decide whether or not you care to return.” His gaze lands on Wendelin who slowly retracts her hand, eyes wide as she shakes her head no. “My office,” Professor Valentine points through the door they had all entered through, “is right across that hall. Any monkey business is ill-advised.” He looks around the room, landing on Raka. “Any questions?”

Kira pipes up. “If we finish our essays early, will you let us leave and go to Quidditch tryouts?”

“I'll give you the answer to that question, Miss Alexandros, next Saturday.”

“But that’s not fair! You asked if we have any questions!”

“Do you want another one?” She shook her head, face sullen. “Don't mess with the bull young lady, you'll get the horns.” The kids all glare as he exits the room.

Jo looks around at the other students. “If he thinks I’m missing my first Quidditch tryouts for this garbage, he’s kidding himself. Stupid snake.”


	4. Chapter 4

The first hour of detention went by rather calmly, and quietly. Wilbert ate his breakfast, sharing with Raka when the Slytherin boy asked. Kira and Jo whispered back and forth for a bit, and then Kira set to work on her essay. Jo, on the other hand, began doodling on her paper, drawing some of the creatures she had seen in her DADA textbook. Wendelin too, was working on her essay. She neither looked around the room nor tried to make eye contact with her fellow delinquents. Instead, as her hand moved across the page, she was thinking of ways to explain to her parents exactly how she had ended up under disciplinary action within her first week. Papa would be so disappointed.

At the one hour mark, eight o’clock, Professor Valentine went by the classroom, poking his head in to see how the students were faring. He glared at the few who were not diligently working on their essays, and when he turned to leave five heads were down, five hands furiously scribbling away at their papers. Satisfied that order had once more been restored, he went on a slow patrol of the dungeon level, checking every corner of his kingdom within the school. After ascertaining that all was in order, he returned to his office, one ear attuned to trouble in the detention hall as he began to grade papers on the behaviours of gnomes in the wild.

For the next hour, most of the students worked on their papers, though as soon as the Professor was out of sight, Jo pulled a Quick Quotes Quill form her bag and set it to work doing the job for her. Instead, she was sketching out an escape plan. No matter what else happened today, she was going to be on the Quidditch Pitch at two o’clock. The first-year Gryffindor had big plans for her future, and none of them involved being deprived of the chance to play in a real stadium. With a careful eye on the door, she plotted, weighing certain options and discarding others. Her fingertips were stained with ink, but she had the beginnings of what she thought was an excellent plan.

Raka, on the other hand, had set his essay aside to flip through his potions textbook. He had homework to do, as well as the essay, but he’d thought of something and wanted to see if it was on the syllabus for that year. Having worked at his mother’s potions shop gave him a leg up in that class, and Professor Vulkov seemed pleased with his progress thus far. Soon, a building pressure in his bladder had him shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Repeatedly his eyes slipped off the page, skating up to check the progression of time on the clock. Part of him seriously wanted to go across the hall and ask Professor Valentine for permission to go to the bathroom, but he was afraid to get yelled at again.

At nine o’clock sharp, the DADA Professor arrived at the door once more. Jo just barely snatched away her Quick Quotes Quill in time to not get caught. Dark eyes scanned the room, and Raka squirmed in discomfort. Rolling his eyes, Valentine tilted his head towards the door. “Anyone who needs to use the facilities line up at the door. You won’t get another chance until lunch time.” Every one of the five detainees scrambled to their feet, the two Gryffindors jockeying good-naturedly for the lead position. Neither of them had to go, but the chance to leave the oppressive detention hall was too good to pass up, and they weren’t likely to get many chances to do so.

The Professor led them down the hall, finally stopping and indicating the doors to the lavatories, he also turned and pointed to a small stairwell. “I’ll be just up those steps grabbing some fresh air. You will meet me there when you are finished. You have five minutes.” That settled, he headed up, pulling a small wooden pipe and a pouch of tobacco from his inner jacket pocket. The boys and Wendelin dutifully filed into the bathrooms, but Jo and Kira paused, sharing a quick, heated discussion. Thirty seconds later, Jo burst into the boy’s washroom. Raka shouted, startled mid-stream as he stood at the urinal, and whirled away from the door, trying to get himself under control. The mess he made, however, was quite impressive. Jo gave the boy a once over, raising her eyebrow and smirking.

“Charming.” With that, she headed to the stalls in the back of the loo, Kira entering just behind her. The two found Wilbert waiting, and the three troublemakers had a quick discussion, debating where and how they could make their exit and get to Quidditch tryouts. Jo pulled out her scraps of papers with her plans, and her clever Ravenclaw friend pointed out some problems she never would have considered. He pulled a quill out of his sleeve, making notations on her messy work. Raka, embarrassed but now tucked away, edged closer. Whatever they were doing, he wanted in. Quidditch was the best sport in the whole wide world, and he wanted a chance to play, even if first years hardly ever made the team.

Wendelin finished her business, taking extra care to wash her hands thoroughly as she looked around for the other girls. She had hoped maybe to speak to them here, make the first overtures of friendship, but they were nowhere to be seen. Frowning in confusion, she dutifully headed up to meet the Professor. He nodded to her, puffing on his pipe and tucking it away. “Go tell the other girls they have one minute left, I will inform the boys.”

Valentine was terrifying, with his long dark hair and piercing gaze, and before she knew it, Wendelin was speaking. “B-but Professor, the girls never came into the loo, I haven’t a clue where they got off to.” She shut her mouth with a nearly audible snap, wincing at both the glare of the professor, and the thought of what the aggressive Jo would do to her. Vincent whirled around, stalking to the lavatories and swinging wide the door. Four heads snapped up, and a slightly guilty looking Jo crammed a handful of paper into her shirt.

The Defense against the Dark Arts teacher’s gaze swung around the chamber, taking in the disaster by the urinals. A thin finger pointed at the girls. “You two, back to the detention hall. Your essay is now no less than two thousand words long.” Red with embarrassment and anger, the two ducked their heads and headed for the detention hall. Professor Valentine caught Raka with his gaze, and the guilty way the boy’s eyes shifted to the mess gave him away. “You, Mister Darkwood, may spend the next hour cleaning this up. The muggle way.” A wave of his wand provided a bucket and a rag. Behind Raka, Wilbert snorted. “Don’t be so quick to laugh, Mister Li. You will be helping him.” Another rag appeared, right in the Ravenclaw’s hand. “Any more shenanigans from the pair of you, and my considerably short temper will be lost. Understand?” The two lads nodded glumly, filling the bucket at the sink.


	5. Chapter 5

At ten o’clock the irate professor led the two boys back into the detention hall, where all three girls were hard at work writing their essays, even Jo. Vincent gave each of them a hard, suspicious glance, before pointing to chairs for the boys, far away from the other students. He had papers to grade, and he didn’t want to encourage fraternizing amidst the miscreants. Raka settled down, his face sullen as he pulled out his paper and quill and set to work under the wary eye of the professor. Wilbert, generally genial in nature, simply ambled to the indicated seat, stopping to pick up his package of snacks on the way. Since his essay was basically finished, the Ravenclaw settled in for a quick bite to eat.

Professor Valentine returned to his office, working his way through a stack of essays from the first years on the behaviour of the common gnome. Several of the students currently gracing his detention hall had work in that stack, and he wanted to see exactly how much they had managed to learn in his class before he had to look at the troublemakers again. With a wary ear towards the door that separated his office from the detention hall, he shuffled through the papers until his charges’ work was all at the top. Best start with the worst, if that was what he was going to be dealing with. He noted that Jo’s essay had doodles in the margins of various gnomes, all done in rather impressive detail. With a scowl he circled them in red ink and marked her down for defacing schoolwork.

Eleven o’clock came and went, and the assembled young persons turned to glance at the door expectantly. 11:05. 11:10. By 11:15 they were starting to think that perhaps the professor was not going to be gracing them with his presence every hour anymore. A palpable sigh of relief went around the desks, and several quills dropped to the parchment, abandoned in the new found freedom from supervision. Jo stood up on her chair, walking across the desks until she made it to where Wilbert was sitting. With a bright smile for her best friend, she perched on his desk and pointed at the door, whispering loudly.

“We need to get out that door by one o’clock. Quidditch tryouts are at two and I refuse to miss them. It is unreasonable and unjust to keep talent like ours tied to desks based on a simple prank and the attempted retrieval of property that already belonged to me. I won’t have it! What we need is some kind of distraction to keep Professor Killjoy out there occupied while we slip out the door. If he isn’t going to be hovering later, that would be the perfect time, he might not even notice we’re missing! What do you say, Bertie? Is it worth the risk? I’ve already got detention for the rest of my life basically, so I know you’re risking more than I am here.”

Wilbert looked up at Jo, her eyes glowing amber with excitement, short-chopped hair frizzing out around her head, and smiled. She was the shortest person he knew, but so full of energy and aggression. He tugged her maps and plans from earlier out of her hand, tired of having her wave them around his face, and looked them over thoughtfully. “I guess it depends on if we’re made to eat our lunches in here, or if he lets us out somewhere else for that. If we go eat elsewhere, it would maybe be easier to slip away from the back of the crowd on our way back to detention. He’ll likely notice us missing, but we can probably get away then. It’s not like he can just abandon the rest of the group and chase us down.”

Raka crossed the room, eyes alight. “If you guys are sneaking out to go to Quidditch tryouts, I want to go too. It will be way easier to distract Professor Valentine with a third person.” He gave them his best puppy-dog pout. “Please? Please let me come with you. I want to play so badly, and they barely let us on to a broom here.” Jo frowned, chewing on the ragged edge of her bottom lip as she examined the Slytherin. As a Gryffindor, he was her natural rival, but then again, Jo Ngo was never one to play by the rules society handed down to her. She looked over at Wilbert, who was calmly waiting for her to make up her mind.

After what seemed like forever, but was likely about forty-five seconds in all actuality, she stuck her hand out towards the tall boy. “Okay Darkwood, you’re in. I wouldn’t want it said that Gryffindor kicked Slytherin’s butt because they didn’t get the opportunity to have their best fliers at tryouts.” When his hand slid into hers, she tugged him forward, the strength surprising in someone so slight. She stared right into his eyes, keeping him bent over so they could be face-to-face. “But if you mess this up somehow, if you get us caught and I miss my chance, I’ll take you out back and make a bludger look gentle. Got it?”

Raka gulped at the intense young woman, was she… growling at him? Shaking her hand like it meant the difference between life and death, he nodded effusively. “Yes ma’am, miss… Jo. Right? I will be an asset to the team I swear. I won’t screw it up. I want to play Quidditch more than I want to do anything else in the world, and with your intensity there is no way your plan will fail.” Jo rolled her eyes and peeled his fingers off from around her hand, shaking her hand a little and then wiping it on her pant leg. She darted her eyes over to Wilbert, who was doing his best impression of a statue.

The small girl sighed, rolling her eyes again. “For Merlin’s sake, Bertie. Just laugh already. You look like you’re going to explode.” The pudgy Ravenclaw’s face split into a broad smile, and he chuckled, a deep, gentle sound. Jo threw her arms up into the air, exasperated. “I need better friends. I’m gonna see if Kira wants in.” With that, she huffily hopped off the desk and stomped back across the detention hall to her housemate.


End file.
